Allow me to introduce:
I'm an APUG member who's mainly been lurking (since Feb) and that's got to change. I'm learning so much from all of you, and contributing little, myself, so far.
Film isn't new to me. My first camera, IIRC, was a Kodak 110 thingy when I was a kid in the late 70's. A birthday present from my dad, it featured a big, orange button and took flash-cubes. Resulting negatives are probably in a shoebox at my parents' house, - not interesting enough for me to retrieve or print again.
Since then, off and on I've used simple cameras - point-and-shoot, or in point-and-shoot mode. Yashica, Pentax, and Olympus 35mm (including a little Olympus Stylus Zoom - accidentally gave it to Goodwill a few years ago, bummer); a couple of Canon SureShot models. Nothing serious at all; school trips, holidays, that kind of thing. And usually, pretty bad pictures -the end product never looked as imagined or desired. I thought "It's me, not you, Camera." I was bored, my pictures were boring, taking boring pictures is boring.
Until this past summer -- a coworker brought in some photo items from her father's estate, intending to give them to our college's art department. From the box, I plucked a leather case holding a chunk of metal and glass. The thing spoke to me, I swear. I told the colleague, "Don't donate this yet, let me do some checking." That hefty little machine with two lenses, one above the other, was everything beguiling about "older," high-quality technology. I offered a price, she accepted - a Rolleiflex 3.5F model 3, with Zeiss optics (Planar 3.5 / 75 mm) and a working built-in light meter. This was fate!
Sure, the camera itself isn't the reason my pictures are suddenly somewhat better, I know that. But there is a connection; medium format images are closer to what I envision, and the film forces me to stop and think more carefully about composition. Reading, researching, going through rolls of film, developing the B&W images myself, scanning and printing - I feel much more in control of the process. Probably the difference is I *want* to be better. Wish I'd started years ago. There's so much to learn and I'm a rank beginner.
Adding to the fun - an Agfa/Ansco No. 2 box camera I found in an antique mall. It's in great condition, and even had the box it came in. I've taken a few rolls in that and developed them, and they turned out surprisingly well! The ultimate point and shoot - no focusing, no messing with shutter speed or f-stops ('cause you can't!).
So - if medium format is good, then large format must be that much better, right?! On a trip to Portland in March I bought a 4x5 Crown Graphic from the gentleman at Hollywood Camera. I've used it so far with a roll-film back. But I'd like to see what it can do with the film it was intended to use. Any recommendations for forgiving, exposure-wise, sheet film?
I have no idea about LF or other photography groups here in town. Anyone know of groups in the Omaha-Lincoln area?
I'd love to take some classes, too. Our art department teaches a film class every other spring, but it would be nice to find something sooner than the next one in 2016.
APUG is such a great source, of knowledge and more. The For Sale forum has sold me flashes, flashbulbs, filters, and some other things. I'm rapidly accumulating stuff that my husband wishes I'd find places for, but he's supportive. We take our gadgets out for photo walks - he with a Canon EOS Rebel T3, and I with the Rollei, usually.
TL;DR - I'm a newbie with a Rolleiflex 3.5F, a 4x5 Crown Graphic, and a 6x9 box camera. I've got a lot to learn. My pictures are improving *because of film*. I'm in love.
I'm an APUG member who's mainly been lurking (since Feb) and that's got to change. I'm learning so much from all of you, and contributing little, myself, so far.
Film isn't new to me. My first camera, IIRC, was a Kodak 110 thingy when I was a kid in the late 70's. A birthday present from my dad, it featured a big, orange button and took flash-cubes. Resulting negatives are probably in a shoebox at my parents' house, - not interesting enough for me to retrieve or print again.
Since then, off and on I've used simple cameras - point-and-shoot, or in point-and-shoot mode. Yashica, Pentax, and Olympus 35mm (including a little Olympus Stylus Zoom - accidentally gave it to Goodwill a few years ago, bummer); a couple of Canon SureShot models. Nothing serious at all; school trips, holidays, that kind of thing. And usually, pretty bad pictures -the end product never looked as imagined or desired. I thought "It's me, not you, Camera." I was bored, my pictures were boring, taking boring pictures is boring.
Until this past summer -- a coworker brought in some photo items from her father's estate, intending to give them to our college's art department. From the box, I plucked a leather case holding a chunk of metal and glass. The thing spoke to me, I swear. I told the colleague, "Don't donate this yet, let me do some checking." That hefty little machine with two lenses, one above the other, was everything beguiling about "older," high-quality technology. I offered a price, she accepted - a Rolleiflex 3.5F model 3, with Zeiss optics (Planar 3.5 / 75 mm) and a working built-in light meter. This was fate!
Sure, the camera itself isn't the reason my pictures are suddenly somewhat better, I know that. But there is a connection; medium format images are closer to what I envision, and the film forces me to stop and think more carefully about composition. Reading, researching, going through rolls of film, developing the B&W images myself, scanning and printing - I feel much more in control of the process. Probably the difference is I *want* to be better. Wish I'd started years ago. There's so much to learn and I'm a rank beginner.
Adding to the fun - an Agfa/Ansco No. 2 box camera I found in an antique mall. It's in great condition, and even had the box it came in. I've taken a few rolls in that and developed them, and they turned out surprisingly well! The ultimate point and shoot - no focusing, no messing with shutter speed or f-stops ('cause you can't!).
So - if medium format is good, then large format must be that much better, right?! On a trip to Portland in March I bought a 4x5 Crown Graphic from the gentleman at Hollywood Camera. I've used it so far with a roll-film back. But I'd like to see what it can do with the film it was intended to use. Any recommendations for forgiving, exposure-wise, sheet film?
I have no idea about LF or other photography groups here in town. Anyone know of groups in the Omaha-Lincoln area?
I'd love to take some classes, too. Our art department teaches a film class every other spring, but it would be nice to find something sooner than the next one in 2016.
APUG is such a great source, of knowledge and more. The For Sale forum has sold me flashes, flashbulbs, filters, and some other things. I'm rapidly accumulating stuff that my husband wishes I'd find places for, but he's supportive. We take our gadgets out for photo walks - he with a Canon EOS Rebel T3, and I with the Rollei, usually.
TL;DR - I'm a newbie with a Rolleiflex 3.5F, a 4x5 Crown Graphic, and a 6x9 box camera. I've got a lot to learn. My pictures are improving *because of film*. I'm in love.
